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Confusion over Atiku, Na’Abba’s membership of PDP BoT

March 4, 2013 : John Alechenu and Olusola Fabiyi

Ghali Na’Abba and Atiku Abubakar

There is confusion over the status of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Speaker, House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, as members of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Our correspondents gathered in Abuja, on Sunday, that although the duo were re-admitted to the party, they had their rights and privileges as members of the BoT suspended until 2014 as punishment for their dumping the party in 2007.

A source in the BoT told one of our correspondents that the board received them back into its fold in the first place with a condition.

The source added, “For Atiku and Na’Abba, they have to wait till 2014. Etiebet’s case is different because at the time he returned, he had a waiver in writing. The whole thing is to encourage discipline and maintain standards.

“The two of them abandoned the party and absconded from their positions as members of the BoT. Now, how do you treat a case of absence without leave?

“They abandoned ship and joined another party. They cannot just jump back and expect that there will be no consequences for their action. We cannot as a party set a bad precedent when we are trying to re-engineer the party. 2014 is not far away, they can wait.”

When one of our correspondents called the Secretary of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, for explanations on the exact status of the two members he gave a non-committal reply.

He said, “We will compile the details (of the BoT meeting) and give you later. We are compiling the details, which we will make public very soon. It is not yet late, you have to be patient.”

The spokesman for former Vice-President, Mallam Garba Shehu, said no such information was available to his principal, adding that it would be speculative to make a categorical statement on the issue.

Shehu said, “We don’t want to delve into speculation in an important constitutional issue about which we have not been communicated. PDP is a party governed by rules as prescribed by the Constitution and to the best of our understanding, it has not changed from what we know it to be.”

Na’Abba also declined to comment on the issue, but commended the emergence of Chief Tony Anenih as the party’s BoT Chairman.

In a text message, the former Speaker said, “Chief Anthony Anenih is one of the founding fathers of the party and a disciplinarian. I am hopeful that he will once again bring character to the party thereby bringing what is known of him in his private realm to the public domain.”

However, a source close to Atiku and Na’Abba said it was obvious that members of the board, who had remained uncomfortable with them, had targeted them.

He said, “Take the case of Na’abba, for example, he returned to the party before the 2007 elections based on the work of the Alex Ekwueme reconciliation committee to which Prof. Jerry Gana was secretary. The committee pleaded with them to come back without pre-conditions, now sees what is happening.”

Section 12.76 of the Constitution of the PDP, which listed qualifications for membership of the BoT specifies members of the party, who are statutory members.

Specifically Section 12.76 (a) reads, “All past and serving Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who held or hold the respective posts as members of the party and who are still members of the party;

“(b) Past and serving National Chairmen, Deputy National Chairmen and National Secretaries of the, who are still members of the party;

“(c) All past and serving Presidents of the Senate and Speakers of the House of Representatives who are still members of the party.”

How on earth can you say a ruling party is dead?, as far as Nigeria politics is concerned PDP is still preferable to any other. You will be shocked dead to note that other parties do not clear manifesto / agenda for this country except criticisms and opposition. If PDP truly fails, then Nigeria risks division., APC or any other cannot coherently hold this country together for more than 6 months. I have spoken. PDP leadership needs to go to God on their kneels and submit their ego and pride in replacements for divine help, otherwise, “God will continue to resist their pride”

2marshal2

PDP is alive and kicking while the party of people suffering from headache, malaria and fever that are treated with APC is dead on arrival since it consists of people with strange ideologies going to bed with each other.

jamajake

How many mumu does Pdp have?answer is millions include u 2marshal2

kola

I pity PDP…. This party is about to crumble

paul

PDP still the best party than boko haram apc

ozaluoku

they will write a constitution then contradict it…was it hurriedly written or just operate the bend and accommodate style of rule of law.

Olumilo

The fall of PDP has started, confusion, disagreement, and other viruses are affecting the party. God will take control of this great country. the masses has suffered a enough from the PDP.

Dele Odugbemi

PDP will surely reap from what they have sown in Nigeria from 1999 to date in 2015 elections.

mikkyduff

GEJ is strategising to sweep the polls cleanly come 2015 by reconciling and welcoming back Party Stalwarts hounded into political exile by vindictive OBJ and you are here mouthing puerile rantings

Aj

Nothing will happen in this country except there is revolution, people that are forming the opp. party too are not credible enough, they are either former PDP or the selfish type no differrent

kayowalemi

Silly people flocking together.

kayowalemi

PDP= Panda democratic party

bass mak

na the same people!!! PDP oooo, APC ooooo,na the same people.

jamajake

we try pdp and taste like stout, why not we try APC instead

Meed

AJ, please lets stop propagating this issue of revolution for now. Can a divided country have a successful revolution? Who are the people to start the revolution? From my own calculation, any attempt at instigating revolution, right now, will only lead to civil war and its only the poor masses that will be at the recieving end. Revolution can only be successful when the people have a united voice against the govt but in a Nigeria situation where people are already divided along tribal, religious and political line, such attempt will lead to civil war. Think about it broadly, if the yorubas initiate it, most Igbo and SS people will never suport it for obvious reasons. If the initiator is a muslim, the christain will never see anything good in it. You must be thinking now that: what if the initiators are from SS, SE and Christains? The answer is right in front of you. Considering the stance of Okorocha and Ameachi right now, do they have the full support of their people?

innocent

@meed, you are right.

usumaraja

you are very correct on your comment.

http://twitter.com/AteizaSule sule monday ateiza

we are talking about revolution via ballot box

Water No Get Enemy

It serves them right,this should be a lesson for all the political prostitutes gallivanting from one party to the other all because of their ambitions.It is only in Nigeria that politicians put their interest first before that of d people.

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Olalekan Ayinde

Can you see a very interesting and powerful comment by Meed, any reasonable person would discuss in this line. How can we solve these problems because without solving them we can hardly move forward in this country?. An average Christian do not want a Muslim for anything and vice versa, Igbo would not trust Yoruba, Hausa would not trust middle belt. What a serious problem?. May God help us.

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kiki nabil

There should be a sound rule that dictates how things should be carried out in an organisation or party like this ,so as to curtail the movement of die hearted members who would want to rule at all cost.This will also go along way to prevent the rampant cases of party prostitutes who always jump from one party to the other for their selfish reasons.Kudos to PDP for this.

nwa biafra

one nigeria

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